Lubricating system for sewing machines



Dec. 28, 19 37; I H. J. LE VESCONTE ET AL 2,103,473

LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR SEWING MACHINES .Filed Nov. 16, 1 935 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 llIlllllllllllllllllllllllll'l'lllllllllllll i MJ lllllllllll Illlllllllllllfllllllll WITNESSES: INVENTORS:

Wwmw I i V ATTORNEYS.

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Dec. 28, 1937. H. J. LE VESCONTE- El AL 2,103,473

LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR SEWING MACHINES i Filed Nov. 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. I f

ii i WE" WITNESSES: INVENTORS:

' Hamid JLe1@sam/17a&

4 TORNEYS.

, for sewing machines.

disclosed in U. S.

Patented Dec. 28, 1937 PATENT oFFiee LUBRIOATING SYSTEM FOR SEWING MACHINES -Harold J. Le Vesconte, Western Springs, and

Albert M. Sehweda, Union Special Maehi a corporation of Illinois Chicago, Ill., assignors to Company, Chicago; Ill.

Application Novemberlfi, 1935, Serial No. 50,088

. 2 Claims.

relates to lubricating systems More specifically, it has systems especially adaptsewing machines of the type Patent No. 2,043,737, granted to Norman V. Christensen on June 9, 1936. In the machine of, this patent, the feed and stitching instrumentalities at the exterior of a hollow casing with a sump for' lubricating oil in its base,

I This invention reference to lubricating ed for cup feed are operated through members confined to oscillation, reciprocation or combinations of these movements and extending with a close'working fit through a side wall of the housing, by actuating mechanism completely enclosed within said housing, said members and the parts of said actuating mechanism being all disposed above the level of the oil in the sump.

In connection with a sewing machine characterized as above, we aim to provide a simple and reliable circulating system whereby the oil is elevated from the sump for continuous discharge in spray form upon all the moving parts within the casing.

A further object of our invention is to provide, in a circulatory system on rative under the principle outlined, a pump with a plunger motivated solely by contact with a reciprocating part of the actuating mechanism. In the drawings, Fig. I is a longitudinal sectional view of a cup feed sewing machine identical with that featured in the aforesaid patent; and

Fig. II isan end elevation looking from the interior. 0 1

As in the patent supra, the sewing machine herein illustrated has an upright hollow housing I in which the actuating mechanism 2 is enclosed, said housing being formed exteriorly at one end thereof with an integral lateral shelf-like extension 3 wherein is journaled a vertical shaft 4. To the upper end of the shaft 4 above the extension 3 is secured a feed Wheel or cup6 with which cooperates a similar feed cup 1 at the top of another vertical shaft 8 journaled in an upright bracket arm 9. This bracket arm 9 is secured to a transverse pin l0 having its ends rotativelyengaged in the side walls of a bottom hollow I2 of the extension 3, so that during the operation of the machine, the feed cup I can move toward and away from the feed cup 6 as required and as permitted by a spring (not shown) upon the bracket arm and which tends to maintain said cup 1 yieldingly in latter for actuation by engagement with its companion. The shafts 4 and 8 are coordinated at their lower ends for rotation in unison by a pair of intermeshing driving gear wheels l3 and M, the gear wheel I3 being accommodated in the hollow l2 and the gear 5 wheel I 4 in a complemental hollow I5 at the base of the bracket arm 9. Intermittent motion is imparted to the shaft 4 of. the cup 6 in one direction by a clutch device It whereof the operating disk I1 is oscillated, through a link l8, by a pendant arm H! at one end of a horizontal shaft which extends with a close working fit into the interior of the housing I through an elongate bearing boss 2| on the end wall 22 of said housing.- The horizontal shaft 29 receives oscillatory motion as a consequence of the connecion of'a ball arm 23 at its inner end with a vertical rod 25 reciprocated by an eccentric 25 on the main shaft of the machine designated 21. As shown, the main shaft 2'! extends crosswise of 20 the housing and passes to-the exterior through suitable bearings 28, 29 in the front and rear walls 39, 3| of said housing. At its outer ends the main shaft 21 is provided with belt wheels 32, 33, either of which may be used for driving the machine.

The stitch forming instrumentalities of the machine include a reciprocating needle 35, a four-motion looper 36 andan oscillating spreader 31, all of which operate in a well known man- 30 her above the feed cups 5 and] to stitch together abutted edge margins of a number of fabric sections passed between said feed cups. The needle 35, looper 36 and spreaderv 31 are secured to members in the form of shafts or rods 38, 39 and 49 which extend with a close working fit through relatively long bushings 4t, 42, 43 in the side wall 22 of the housing I into the upper part of the the mechanism 2. The necessary longitudinal reciprocating movements are imparted to the needle bar 38 through a link 44, by a crank 45 on the main shaft 21. The shaft 39 carrying the looper 36 is oscillated and longitudinally r'eciprocated as well. The means for effecting the oscillatory movements of the shaft 39 include an eccentric 46 on the main shaft which, through a link 41, is coupled with a lateral ball arm 48 on the inner end of said shaft. The endwise movements of the looper shaft 39 are induced by another crank 49 on the main shaft 21 coordinated through a'horizontal, link 50 with the lower end of a rocker arm 5| fulcrumed about a fixed transverse axis 52 Within the housing I, the upper end of said arm being in turn pivotally connected at 53 to a collar 54 on the looper bar. A third eccentric 55 on the main shaft 21 has its link 56 coupled at the upper end with a lateral ball arm 51 at the inner end of the rod or shaft 40 which carries the spreader 31.

The base of the housing I is utilized as a sump for oil L which is maintained at the level indicated below the horizontal shaft 20 and which is employed to lubricate the mechanism 2 in a manner presently explained.

The circulating system with which the present invention is more especially concerned, comprises a vertical plunger pump 58 whereof the inlet 59 is submerged in the oil L. To the discharge outlet 60 of the pump 58 is connected a tube 6| which extends up along the rear end wall 62 of the housing I and then horizontally of the top of the latter over the mechanism 2. The horizontal branch of the tube BI is provided along its bottom side with a series of perforations 63 so that the pumped oil is discharged in divergent sprays to insure its reaching all the parts of the mechanism 2. As shown, the plunger 65 of the pump 58 is urged upward by a compression spring 66 and thus maintained in contact engagement with a rounded protuberance 61 at the bottom end of the eccentric rod 25, and is accordingly obliged to partake of the up and down movements of said rod.

Since the feed cup, needle, looper and spreader operating shafts 2U, 38, 39 and ml and all the moving parts of the mechanism 2 are above the level of the oil L, the latter is not agitated by them nor heated by friction generated in them. The oil is thus safeguarded against injurious churning and heating incident to operation of the machine at high speeds and therefore maintained in good condition for a very much longer time than would otherwise be the case. Obviously, due to close fitment of the oscillating shafts 20, 38, 39 and All] in the long bearings -2|, H, 42 and 43 and by virtue of the fact that they have only very limited oscillating or reciprocating movement, the oil cannot possibly escape to the exterior of the casing to soil the work which is being sewed in the machine.

ing mechanism, said system including an oil sump in the base of the housing below the level of the feed cup driving connection aforesaid, and reciprocatory pump means motivated solely by contact with the feed cup driving connection within the housing to elevate oil from the sump for spray distribution upon the parts of the actuating mechanism as well as upon those portions of the needle and looper operating members and the feed cup driving connection within the housing.

2. A lubricating system for a cup feed sewing machine having an upright housing, a pair of feed cups supported at an elevation, a needle and a looper above the feed cups respectively operated by members protruding through oil tight bearings in the front wall of the housing for actuation by mechanism completely enclosed within said housing, means for driving the feed cups from 2 below including a horizontal rock shaft extending inwards through an oil tight bearing in the front wallof the housing and an operating rod depending from the actuating mechanism and coordi nated with a crank at the inner end of said rock :1

shaft, said system comprising an oil sump in the base of the housingbelow the level of the rock shaft, and a pump with a spring pressed plunger actuated solely by contact with the operating rod aforesaid for elevating oil from the sump for spray distribution upon the actuating mechanism as well as upon those portions of the needle and looper operating members and the rock shaft within the housing.

HAROLD J. LE VESCONTE.

ALBERT M. SCHWEDA. 

